What family-friendly policies mean for children
A lengthy study from Unicef argues children get a better start in life and parents are more able to find the right balance between work and private life in countries that have family-friendly policies. Yet even...Read more
Why early childhood education is everyone’s business
Early childhood education and care has received significant attention during the 2019 election campaign, due mainly to major Australian Labor Party announcements about funded three-year-old preschool for all children and a $4 billion overhaul of...Read more
Children in Jordan learning through play
More than 145,000 vulnerable children in Jordan are learning through play since the LEGO Foundation donated over 3,000 LEGO Duplo Play Boxes and over 1,100 LEGO Play Boxes. The materials have been distributed in schools,...Read more
Kindergartners get little time to play. Why does it matter?
Being a kindergartner today is very different from being a kindergartner 20 years ago. In fact it is more like first grade. Researchers have demonstrated that five-year-olds are spending more time engaged in teacher-led academic learning...Read more
A preschool approach imported from Italy comes to public schools in Denver
Boulder Journey School feels different from most other child care centers almost as soon as you walk through the door. In the hallways, there’s a kid-sized mail-sorting station, a giant metal spaceship trimmed with white...Read more
A good community where young children can thrive
The international research is clear. Stimulating and positive environments early in life provide optimal foundations for children’s ongoing development into adulthood. This in turn makes a difference to the productivity of society at large. Communities are...Read more
Study links childhood poverty to violent crime and self-harm
A new study shows that children growing up in poverty are seven times more likely to harm themselves and be involved in violent crimes as young adults. This research highlights the importance of providing child-friendly public...Read more
Children are 37% more exposed to air pollution than adults
Air pollution is costly. A recent European Court of Auditors (ECA) report estimates the EU spends between 330 and 940 billion euros per year on health-related costs of air pollution. New research shows that children are 37% more...Read more
Early childhood development and the future of Latin America
The early childhood development agenda just received a major boost in Latin America. With the First Latin American Forum on Early Childhood Development. This took place in Bogotá, Colombia in November last year. The crowning achievement...Read more
Cities can use dashboards to make better decisions about early childhood
At a time when more of the world’s children are growing up in cities than ever before, the Bernard van Leer Foundation is working with city governments around the world to find new and scalable...Read more
Early intervention increases educational gains for inner city children
Researchers followed the 30-year progress of 989 children who attended the Child-Parent Centers program in inner-city Chicago as preschoolers. Their findings suggest preventive interventions beginning in early childhood can promote long-term educational success that contributes...Read more
Toddlers need books, and lots of conversation
Learning outcomes in the first two to three years of life have been shown to have a huge impact on children’s ongoing educational achievement. Children as young as two who fall behind their peers in intellectual...Read more
1000 days to close the gap
What we can learn from the early baby health centres in Victoria to close the gap in Indigenous infant health. International research has shown that the first 1000 days, from conception to age two, offers a...Read more
Prescription for developing a child’s mind
How quality teacher interaction with children pays off in their future education and development. We know that quality early childhood education is critical, but what is actually happening in kindergartens, childcare and homes across Australia? The research Over...Read more